Lin Duole was taken by Lu Chengyu to a hair salon downstairs in the residential complex. Though called a hair salon, it looked more like a private styling studio.
Lu Chengyu led Lin Duole through the revolving door, down a long and narrow retro-styled hallway, and into a room. Hearing them enter, the hairstylist inside looked up from his work and teased, “Well, well, what a rare guest! What wind blew our young master Lu here today?”
“Uncle Zhang, stop pulling my leg,” Lu Chengyu replied casually. Making himself right at home, he sat down in the reception area. Lin Duole didn’t overthink it and sat right beside him.
The hair stylist naturally noticed the young boy following him. The boy was strikingly handsome, looking to be around twelve or thirteen years old—slightly shorter than Lu Chengyu, but undoubtedly the brightest, most eye-catching sight in any crowd. His delicate and lively features looked like they belonged on the cover of a teen magazine.
“Wow, who is this super gorgeous young man beside you?” The stylist put down his tools, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “Young Master Lu, care to introduce us?”
“A distant relative of mine,” Lu Chengyu replied casually, making up an identity on the spot since he didn’t want to air family matters in public. “When you’re free later, trim his hair and see what style suits him.”
“No problem, leave it to me,” Master Zhang said, snipping his scissors in the air while cutting a customer’s hair. As he trimmed bangs, he glanced over at Lin Duole—who was sitting quietly next to Lu Chengyu—and let out a chuckle, sighing, “Ah, I’m turned green with envy. It’s one thing for your family of three to all be exceptionally blessed in the looks department, but today another distant relative shows up who’s just as drop-dead gorgeous. Heaven really handed your family the silver spoon.”
Lin Duole’s ears burned with embarrassment at these words. Privately, he had always felt his own features were a bit too delicate, but his grandmother would often say he had a girl’s face in a boy’s body. The local women in his village hadn’t appreciated the soft beauty of his features either, often remarking that boys should look more rugged and masculine.
Compared to the sighs he used to hear back home, coming to Beijing marked the first time anyone had praised his appearance so openly and unabashedly.
“Uncle Zhang, no wonder your business is thriving,” Lu Chengyu said with a laugh, looking down at his phone as he played a game, knowing Lin Duole wasn’t good at handling such situations. “Of all the hair salons within ten miles, you’re the best at delivering emotional value.”
The two bantered naturally, keeping the atmosphere relaxed, which helped Lin Duole’s nervous tension slowly dissolve.
After finishing with his previous customer, Master Zhang went over to the shampoo station to turn on the warm water, then called out, “Hey handsome, come over here. Let me wash your hair first.”
Lin Duole lay down on the reclining chair. As Master Zhang rinsed his hair, he gently massaged his scalp. In the past, Lin Duole’s hair had always been trimmed at home by his mother using household scissors. This was his very first time in a hair salon enjoying such treatment. Nervous, he held his neck completely stiff, not daring to move a muscle for fear his head was too heavy for the stylist’s hands.
Noticing his cautious stiffness, Master Zhang chuckled softly near his ear, “Little guy, don’t be so nervous. Just relax. That’s it—you can move your neck, it’s fine. My hands are supporting you.”
Lin Duole obediently did as he was told. To ease his anxiety, Master Zhang chatted with him cheerfully, “You have really dense, fine hair. The texture is great—so soft to the touch and not frizzy at all.”
Lin Duole didn’t know how to respond. Aside from his academic achievements, he had rarely been praised by anyone, which made him feel even more awkward. He could only let out a soft, shy “Mm.”
“By the way, handsome, what’s your name?”
“Lin Duole.”
“Ah, Lele! That’s a great name—simple, easy to remember, and with a wonderful meaning. Life is short, and you never know when it might end, so being happy and cheerful is what matters most.”
At these words, Lin Duole couldn’t help but think of his mother again. He blinked, trying not to let anyone notice his sadness.
Master Zhang had no idea that his casual remark had touched a sore spot. It was Lu Chengyu who let out a light cough from the side and said, “Uncle Zhang, stop blabbering. Have you figured out what hairstyle to give my distant relative?”
“Don’t worry, leave it to me,” Master Zhang said, squeezing a dollop of foam into his hands and working it into Lin Duole’s scalp. “Your Lele is so handsome and well-behaved. Where does one go to adopt such a wonderful kid? I wish I had one myself.”
“You’re too late then,” Lu Chengyu chimed in while playing his game. “There’s only this one, and he’s already been taken by our family.”
Rinsing the foam from Lin Duole’s hair, Master Zhang was almost brought to laughter by Lu Chengyu’s words. He led Lin Duole over to the styling chair and began cutting his hair with complete focus.
Ten minutes later, the haircut was complete. Hearing the hairdryer turn off, Lu Chengyu instinctively raised his head and met Lin Duole’s eyes in the mirror.
Their eyes locked unexpectedly. Lin Duole shifted his gaze away first, but Lu Chengyu kept staring right at him without looking away.
“All done, take a look,” Master Zhang said, sweeping away the loose hair from the back of Lin Duole’s neck. He asked them both, “Doesn’t he look so much sharper and more energetic now?”
Lu Chengyu looked at the boy in the mirror. With a clean, fresh textured crop on top, his fair skin paired with his delicate features made him look exceptionally well-behaved and shy. His watery eyes shimmered, accentuating the boyish innocence he had yet to outgrow.
Lin Duole remained silent, but Lu Chengyu replied, “He really does look completely transformed.”
“Naturally!” Master Zhang seemed thrilled with his masterpiece. He patted the boy’s shoulder and said with a grin, “This hairstyle suits Lele’s face shape perfectly. It looks clean and refreshing—definitely a head-turner!”
Flustered by the praise, Lin Duole shyly touched the fresh crop of hair atop his head.
Lu Chengyu couldn’t help glancing at Lin Duole again, then pulled two hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and handed them to the owner.
Master Zhang took the money with a smile and waved to them, saying, “Come back next time! Whatever style you want, I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!”
Lu Chengyu led Lin Duole out the door, waving goodbye in return.
Lin Duole frowned, looking back at those two bright red hundred-yuan bills in the owner’s hand, feeling his heart bleed inside.
He never imagined that getting a haircut in Beijing would cost two whole hundred-yuan notes!
After walking side by side for a bit, Lin Duole shook off his sleeve. Lu Chengyu was no fool and naturally felt the shift in his mood.
“What’s wrong? Are you not satisfied with the haircut?”
“N-No, it’s not that.” Lin Duole was not only shocked by the price of the haircut, but also confused by Lu Chengyu’s behavior. His mind was in a mess—he couldn’t understand why Lu Chengyu had refused to take him for a haircut one moment, only to warmly accompany him into the salon, act so familiar, and casually shell out two hundred yuan for him the next.
“Is getting a haircut over there really that expensive?” Lin Duole flashed two fingers, gesturing toward the two hundred-yuan bills that had been spent.
“What do you think?” Lu Chengyu finally understood the reason behind his strange behavior. “Did you think this was some remote mountain village? Where people sell goods and offer services for a yuan or two?”
Lin Duole was flushed with shame at his words. Hanging his head, he asked in a low voice, “If you knew it was so expensive, why did you take me to that place?”
“There weren’t any other salons around. That one was the closest.”
At this, Lin Duole was rendered completely speechless. He let out a sigh, reached into his pants pocket, and pulled out the money his grandmother had stuffed into his hands before he left. Adding all the bills and coins together, it came to just under one hundred and fifty yuan.
He counted it again to make sure, then held it out into Lu Chengyu’s palm, saying, “I didn’t bring that much money. I’ll find a way to pay you back the remaining fifty yuan later.”
Looking at the handful of loose coins and small bills, Lu Chengyu suddenly found it absurd. He raised his head, met Lin Duole’s hesitant gaze, and let out a light laugh, “Keep the money for yourself.”
“No, I have to pay you back,” Lin Duole waved his hands, refusing to take it back.
“Then focus on studying first. You can pay me back later,” Lu Chengyu insisted, shoving the money back into his hands all at once.
Seeing his firm refusal, Lin Duole had no choice but to put the money back in his pocket, then said resolutely, “I will pay you back in the future. I keep my promises.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Lu Chengyu replied with an indifferent look, as if a couple hundred yuan was just pocket change not even worth mentioning. The two wandered through the alleys for a few rounds as the glow of the setting sun fell across their shoulders, casting overlapping shadows in the deep alleyway. Looking down at the shadows, Lu Chengyu murmured to himself, “Money can be paid back eventually, but there are some things you can’t measure with money.”
When they returned home that evening, Lu Tingyu was already back as well. He and Song Qian were busy in the kitchen. Hearing noise at the entryway, his wife patted his shoulder and said, “The kids are back. I’ll go greet them first.”
After changing his shoes, Lin Duole saw Song Qian walking toward him with a warm smile. The refined makeup on her face had already been washed off, leaving behind a fair face that carried an odd sense of familiarity.
That familiarity came from how much her features resembled Lin Duole’s recently deceased mother. However, unlike his mother’s skin, which had been exposed to sun and weather for years, this aunt’s skin looked delicate and smooth under the incandescent light, clearly well-maintained.
“You must be Lele, right?” Song Qian took Lin Duole by the arm, pulling him to sit on the sofa and acting with warm intimacy. “I’m Auntie Song, your Uncle Lu’s wife. I just got back to the country this afternoon and was so busy that I hadn’t heard your Uncle Lu mention this yet. I’m so sorry for mistaking you for Xiao Yu’s classmate earlier today.”
“It’s alright,” Lin Duole said, staring at the face that so closely resembled his mother’s. “Hello, Auntie Song.”
“Ah, sweet boy,” Song Qian responded, patting his hand reassuringly. “I heard about your mother from your Uncle Lu. Don’t feel like an outsider living here from now on—just treat it as your own home.”
Lin Duole felt almost overwhelmed by Auntie Song’s warmth, not knowing where to hide. He squeezed out a smile and said, “I understand. Thank you, Auntie Song.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Also, your Uncle Lu mentioned it to me—for now, we’ll have you and Xiao Yu share a room. Your luggage in the room has already been packed away by your Uncle Lu and me.” Song Qian maintained a gentle smile on her face as she looked over the handsome boy before her. “It’ll be great for you two kids to sleep in the same room so you can keep each other company and play together.”